Northrop Grumman Delivers Second BACN Global Hawk to U.S. Air Force

Northrop Grumman delivered a second Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system (UAS) equipped with the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) to the U.S. Air Force.

The BACN uses a suite of computers and radio systems to expand airborne communications and information sharing among military units in harsh environments.

The first BACN-equipped Global Hawk UAS was delivered to the Air Force in June 2012, as part of an ongoing BACN development contract for Northrop Grumman to support U.S. Central Command missions.

"By pairing BACN and Global Hawk, military commanders can provide the system's critical capabilities during a single flight lasting more than 30 hours," said George Guerra, Global Hawk unmanned air systems vice president with Northrop Grumman. "This is important when ground units operate in mountainous terrain where land-based communications systems don't function as well."